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Neneh Cherry's Exclusive Summer Playlist

**Neneh Cherry’**s just announced her second-ever U.S. performance, her first since 1992, this summer at the Pitchfork festival in Chicago with RocketNumberNine. In case you’ve forgotten her enviably punk-bohemian story: Grew up in Stockholm and New York City, raised by her mother, a painter and textile artist, and her stepfather, the free jazz pioneer Don Cherry, in a household where visiting artists and musicians drifted in and out. It didn’t take long for their influence to take hold on Cherry, whose first epiphanic vocal moment came while singing along to Polystyrene of the seminal punk band X-Ray Spex, and who struck out at fifteen to join up with a latter-day incarnation of the equally seminal and radical Slits. At 25, she had a top ten hit with “Buffalo Stance,” a song that was as much about art and fashion (the “Buffalo” were a crew of musicians, photographers, and models, so-called after Malcolm McLaren’s “Buffalo Gals” single) as it was anti-materialism (the memorable refrain: “No moneyman can win my love / It’s sweetness that I’m thinking of”).

Her videos, directed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, styled by the inimitable Judy Blame, helped launch Cherry’s music career, one that she’s continued on her own terms, and put on hiatus as she pleased, for more than a decade even. But even while Cherry was keeping a low profile, she continued to be rediscovered by everyone from Biggie Smalls, who performed a remix of her song “Buddy X,” to Riccardo Tisci, who confessed in Vogue to a longtime infatuation with Cherry’s irreverent style, namely her predilection for wearing sneakers with anything. With artists like Four Tet, she released 2012’s The Cherry Thing, an album of mostly covers of the Stooges, Suicide, and others. Now, on the heels of Blank Project, her fourth solo full-length, she pays homage to her latest inspirations, creating for Vogue.com an exclusive playlist of the music—from Little Dragon to Lykke Li—she’s listening to now.

Floating Points, “King Bromeliad”

Fatima, “Riding Round (Sky High)”

Oscar, “Open Up”

“Oscar’s ‘Open Up’ is going to be a major song next month. This kid is destined for the big time!”

Percussions (aka Four Tet), “Blatant Water Cannon”

Little Dragon, “Paris”

“I was on tour with Little Dragon with the Gorillaz. She’s got an amazing voice and is a lovely girl. Her vibe is fresh pressed and harmless fun with a tinge of the dark side if you look in the right bits of the tunes.”

Frank Ocean + Mick Jones + Paul Simonon + Diplo, “HERO”

Panes, “Bones Without You”

“This is my other daughter singing. Her song blew up on the Internet right after she posted it. I’m so proud, but also a bit scared about how damn good this project is. Respect.”